Long time, no posts

Fast forward. It's July 2nd, 2008. Overall the past few years have been a steady decline for Fred's health. But, for the first time in quite a while, I feel like Fred has shown some awesome signs of improvement. Between a good diet, routine, and very well managed health care, he's feeling better and talking more. It all started really after Caitlin, my super-star wife, helped get Fred's ears checked out, so he could get fitted for hearing aids. To make a long story, they found that his ears were very backed up with wax, and after being cleaned he could hear. Then he got hearing aids. Now he was talking, listening, and it seemed that his cognitive abilities were really working. It's things like this that as a kid, I completely took for granted. Just being able to sit down with my dad and have a real conversation.

Rob and I have been taking him out on the weekends, and John comes down from Houston every few weeks. He really enjoys our visits. I believe Mary and Fred may come out early in the fall, and hopefully Candy or some of the Chicago family will also come to visit him. I think everyone will be really surprised once they get to sit down and talk with him.

I'm hoping that I can get some more stories from him soon. Try to document them. I'm also going to piece together the 'nine knots to nowhere', Dad's one and only fiction book, based on his Navy days aboard ship, and get something going with John. Maybe trying to finish it together. It would be really neat to show him while he's still here with us.

More updates to follow. I hope everyone who is reading this is doing well and takes time to appreciate each day and every relationship with love, care, and patience.